Department for Transport

Driving Licences: Electronic Government

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the average processing times of applications for the renewal of driving licences made online; and what steps they are taking to reduce average processing times.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their driving licence within a few days. The average time taken to process successful online driving licence renewal applications between April and October 2021 was two working days.There are some instances where the customer has transacted online but will need to provide further information via the paper route. For example, if the DVLA is unable to confirm identity details or if a medical condition has been declared and needs to be investigated. This can increase the processing time.

Aviation

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to initiate an independent inquiry into (1) the market for the hire of private aircraft, (2) the level of observance of current regulations within the market, (3) whether there is a need to tighten those regulations, and (4) the adequacy of the (a) powers, and (b) resources, available to the Civil Aviation Authority to regulate the market.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: There are no plans to initiate an independent inquiry into these matters. The owners of private aircraft are not permitted to undertake operations for hire and reward. Commercial air transport operations must be operated by the holder of an Operating Licence and Air Operator Certificate (AOC). All UK AOC holders are overseen by the Civil Aviation Authority and are subject to appropriate high-level safety rules and ongoing monitoring.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government why fewer than 25 per cent of new public electric vehicle charging points installed in the last three months were rapid chargers; and how they plan to increase the numbers of rapid chargers.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Electric vehicle (EV) drivers will require a variety of a range of public charging locations and speeds of charging to meet their needs. The vast majority of EV drivers choose to charge their cars at home, overnight or increasingly at the workplace. For those without off-street parking, slower on-street chargepoints may work for them, or faster charging when they do their weekly shop, for example. Rapid and ultra-rapid charging is particularly important for those making longer journeys.The UK is a global front-runner in supporting provision of EV charging infrastructure. The rate at which rapid chargepoints are being installed has been consistently increasing, from October 2020 to September 2021 the number of rapids in the UK increased by almost 40%.The Government will provide over £1.3 billion to accelerate the roll out of charging infrastructure, targeting support on ultra-rapid rapid chargepoints on motorways and major A roads to dash any anxiety around long journeys, and installing more on-street chargepoints near homes and workplaces to make charging as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car.We have set targets for en-route ultra-rapid charging on the Strategic Road Network, to ensure there are enough chargepoints to enable long distance journeys and committed a £950 million Rapid Charging Fund to future proof grid capacity at motorway service areas (MSAs) and major A road service areas to prepare the network for 100% uptake of zero emission cars and vans ahead of need:By 2023, we aim to have at least 6 high powered, open access chargepoints (150-350 kilowatt capable) at each MSA in England.By 2030, we are planning for there to be around 2,500 high powered chargepoints across England’s motorways and major A roads.By 2035, we expect the number to increase to around 6,000 high powered chargers across the network.Our £20 million per year on-street residential charging scheme is providing much needed slower charging options near people’s homes, including for those charging overnight. In addition, our new Local EV Infrastructure Fund which will launch next year will facilitate the rollout of larger scale chargepoint infrastructure projects across England for local areas, including local rapid hubs.Government’s forthcoming EV Infrastructure Strategy will define our vision for the continued roll-out of a world-leading charging infrastructure network across the UK. The strategy will focus on how we will unlock the chargepoint rollout needed to enable the transition from early adoption to mass market uptake of EVs.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Newport Wafer Fab: China

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the acquisition of semiconductor manufacturer Newport Wafer Fab (NWF), by a Chinese company, in particular in the light of (1) the previous funding of the company by Her Majesty’s Government to undertake defence research, and (2) the efforts by the government of the United States of America to limit the role of Chinese companies in national technological infrastructure.

Lord Callanan: As my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister said at the Liaison Committee on 7 July 2021, the National Security Adviser is reviewing the case. It would be inappropriate to comment until the review has concluded.

Heat Pumps: Costs

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the feasibility of their target of reducing the cost of heat pumps by between a quarter and a half by 2025, as set out in the Heat and Buildings Strategy, published on 19 October.

Lord Callanan: The policies announced in the Heat and Buildings Strategy combine targeted funding to kickstart market growth, with incentives and regulations to provide long-term policy clarity for industry. We expect these measures will rapidly drive down costs, in line with the Government’s ambitions to reduce the upfront costs of heat pumps by between a quarter and a half by 2025. We are encouraged that so many across the sector have already pledged to significantly reduce costs.

Combined Heat and Power

The Earl of Shrewsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential of combined heat and power systems; both as an alternative to gas and in relation to climate change targets.

Lord Callanan: In 2020, CHP represented 7.7% of the UK’s total electricity generation and 8.5% of gas demand. Approximately 85% of fuel used in CHPs in 2020 was fossil fuel (72% of which was natural gas). CHP plants are used by a wide variety of sectors, in particular chemicals, food and drink, paper and refining industries. CHPs are also used in large commercial and civic buildings with high heat demands, such as hospitals, hospitality and leisure facilities, retail outlets and heat networks. The Government recognises the benefits CHP can bring, such as primary energy savings associated with making use of the heat from power generation compared to separate heat and power generation, and grid stability. The Government continues to develop policies to support the decarbonisation of CHP in the future and is reviewing the potential role for CHP using various fuel sources going forward. As part of this review, we have published a call for evidence on CHP: Pathway to Decarbonisation that closes on 20 December 2021. In the Heat and Buildings Strategy, Government proposed to regularly review the contributions of different technologies. As outlined in the Hydrogen Strategy, analysis indicates that boilers and CHP installations could make up around two thirds of demand for hydrogen fuel switching by 2030 in industrial sectors.

Department for Education

Music: GCE A-level and GCSE

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many school pupils in England have taken (1) GCSE, and (2) A Level, music in each year since 2011.

Baroness Barran: Data on the number of pupils in England who have taken GCSE music in each academic year since 2010/11 is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/7251178a-2269-43d4-8ae0-77cf21cf4409.Data on the number of pupils in England who have taken A level music in each academic year since 2010/11 is available in the below table:A level entries into music of all students aged 16-18[1] since academic year 2010/11Year 2010/11 to 2020/21[2]. Coverage: England.YearNumber of pupils entering music exam2010/118,7092011/128,2032012/137,6552013/147,1842014/156,7092015/166,1552016/175,5852017/185,4402018/195,1202019/205,0002020/215,000[1] Exam entries are for the current exam year for 16-18 students, after discounting. Includes pending awards.[2] Data for 2010/11 to 2018/19 are revised and data for 2019/20 and 2020/21 are provisional.[3] Entries since academic year 2010/11 to 2018/19 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years#a-levels-and-other-16-to-18-results.[4] Entries for acadmic years 2019/20 and 2020/21 can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/f74d6b70-5a7e-43c7-9610-5b6aea6d0d7c.

Music: Education

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the second National Plan for Music Education.

Baroness Barran: The government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people have access to a good quality music education.On 6 August 2021, the department announced plans to work with a panel of experts from across the music education sector to develop a refreshed national plan for music education. This will shape the future of music education and follows the publication of the non-statutory Model Music Curriculum on 26 March 2021. Further information on this curriculum can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-music-in-schools.The advisory panel includes teachers, representatives from the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and UK Music. It will also feature Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, whose independent review of music education in England informed the original national plan. Further information on his review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/music-education-in-england-a-review-by-darren-henley-for-the-department-for-education-and-the-department-for-culture-media-and-sport.The plan will be published early next year.

Home Education: Standards

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the High Court decision in Goodred v Portsmouth City Council [2021] EWHC 3057, what steps they are taking to ensure that local authorities are aware of their powers to carry out inquiries to check that home schooled children are receiving "a suitable education", as required by the Education Act 1996.

Baroness Barran: The department intervened in the Goodred v Portsmouth City Council judicial review as a neutral party to assist the court in understanding relevant guidance and legislation. A judgment was handed down on 16 November 2021, where the claim was dismissed on all grounds.The government has substantially strengthened its guidance to local authorities on exercising their powers in relation to elective home education. The revised guidance, which was published in April 2019, sets out the steps that local authorities should take to satisfy themselves that the education provided by parents at home is suitable, and the actions that they can take if they are not satisfied. This guidance will be reviewed again in due course.

Children: Nutrition

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the access to healthy food for primary school children.

Baroness Barran: The standards for school food are set out in The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014. They ensure that schools provide children with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that children get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day. The government encourages all schools to promote healthy eating and provide healthy, tasty and nutritious food and drink. Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for all maintained schools (including academies), and further information on these are available here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1603/contents/made.Under the benefits-based criteria, 1.7 million of the most disadvantaged pupils are eligible for and claiming a free school meal. We spend around £600 million per year ensuring an additional 1.3 million infants enjoy a free, healthy and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy in 2014.

Broadband: Schools

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that 3,835 schools are in postcodes which do not have access to full-fibre broadband; and what steps they are taking to improve connectivity for schools.

Baroness Barran: We want all schools in the country to have access to fast internet. We are committed to continued investment, ensuring that every school has access to modern internet connectivity in the classroom, benefiting thousands more children and teachers.Most schools in the UK are in urban or suburban areas which already have access to fast full fibre broadband, so this government investment is focused on mostly rural or hard-to-reach areas, to ensure they don’t miss out on next-generation speeds.Recognising the importance of broadband infrastructure in education, we are working with industry and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to accelerate the full-fibre internet connectivity rollout to all schools in England. Children in more than 1,000 schools are now enjoying next generation internet speeds thanks to government investment, with around a further 2,000 to be connected by 2025. Further information on this rollout can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/200-million-rollout-of-full-fibre-broadband-begins.The government remains committed to investing £5 billion to bring gigabit coverage to the hardest to reach areas and will continue to work with suppliers to accelerate this investment. This takes into account industry capacity to bid for, and deliver, contracts to build in uncommercial areas alongside their commercial plans. GigaHubs is one of the programmes DCMS is using to deliver the government ambition of gigabit capabilities across the UK by 2030. As part of Project Gigabit, GigaHubs will use up to £110 million to connect public buildings such as rural schools, doctors’ surgeries, and libraries to gigabit broadband. This will help GPs provide remote video consultations and allow whole classes of school children to be online, at once, with no interruptions.Ensuring good connectivity to the building is just the first step. The actual internet speed experienced is also affected by the technology and Wi-Fi arrangements in place within institutions. We have published a suite of resources to help steer schools, colleges and other providers through the key questions and issues to consider when implementing technology infrastructure, including broadband and local infrastructure issues. To ensure investment made in fast broadband carries through into a high-quality experience in the classroom, we have also set up the ‘connect the classroom’ pilot programme, which is investing up to £30 million to upgrade Wi-Fi for over 1,000 schools.

Education: Reform

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to create an apolitical organisation to lead an independent consultation on reforming the education (1) curriculum, and (2) assessment, models.

Baroness Barran: There are no plans to change the curriculum framework for England. All maintained schools and academies are expected to offer a broad and balanced curriculum which promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development, and prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.The department reformed GCSEs and A levels from 2011 to be in line with the highest performing education systems. We consulted widely with schools, colleges, universities and employers, both on the principles for reform and the detail of the content of individual subjects, to help them prepare for their introduction.At GCSE, the department wanted to make sure that young people had access to qualifications that set expectations that match those in the highest performing countries. At A level, the department wanted the qualifications to be robust and rigorous and keep pace with universities’ and employers’ demands. There are no plans for further wholesale reform of GCSEs and A levels.Primary assessment policy is the responsibility of the Standards and Testing Agency (STA), an executive agency of the Department for Education. Neither STA nor the department have any plans to establish an organisation to consult on assessment reform.

Academies: Pre-school Education

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: To ask Her Majesty's Government why a freestandingpre-school is not permitted to be a member of a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) unless it is partnered with a single primary school; and what steps they intend to take to allow such pre-schools to join MATs without being subject to that requirement.

Baroness Barran: Academies are state-funded schools that have become independent from local authority control. Multi-academy trusts (MATs) are charities that have responsibility for running a number of academies.Most freestanding pre-schools are private, voluntary, or independent (PVI) childcare providers which are businesses or organisations that are not schools. As such these organisations are not eligible to become academies, and therefore, not able to be included in a MAT in their own right. Schools that become academies in their own right are also currently required by law to have pupils of compulsory school age (aged 5 or above). Other definitions of an academy are set out in the Academies Act 2010.Therefore, a pre-school would have to be fully constituted as part of a primary school’s academy organisation and provision to be able to be part of its MAT. It would then be subject to the governance arrangements of that MAT. Therefore, it would be for the MAT and the Regional Schools Commissioner to ultimately decide any individual arrangements for that provider and which schools it would be able to work with. Changing these procedures would require a change to primary legislation and there are no current plans to make such a change. The Regional Schools Commissioner for East Midlands and the Humber can be contacted at: emh.rsc@education.gov.uk.A minority of pre-schools are maintained nursery schools (MNSs), which are an important part of the early years sector and provide valuable services, especially in disadvantaged areas. MNSs come under local authority control but are also currently unable to legally become academies. Originally, when academisation was established as a route for schools, maintained nursery schools were not included. We continue to keep under review the case for enabling maintained nursery schools to convert to academy status and join MATs.

English Language and Mathematics: GCSE

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many English state school students who applied for undergraduate studies at UK universities for the academic year 2020–21 did not have any (1) Maths GCSEs, (2) English GCSEs, or (3) both Maths and English GCSEs, at Grade 4 or above.

Baroness Barran: The department does not hold the information requested. The information may be available from the Universities and Colleges Admission Service.

Ministry of Justice

Sentencing

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) Extended Determinate Sentences, (2) Extended Sentences of Detention, and (3) sentences for offenders of particular concern, were imposed in each of the last five years for which data are available; and of these, how many had a minimum term in custody of 10 years or more.

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) mandatory life sentences, (2) automatic life sentences, and (3) discretionary life sentences, were imposed in each of the last five years for which data are available; and of these, how many had a minimum term in custody of 10 years or more.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The Ministry of Justice holds data on sentences covering the period requested and this can be viewed in the attached table.Table (xlsx, 20.0KB)

Gambling: Prosecutions

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been prosecuted for supplying illegal, unregulated, or black market gambling services in each of the last five years.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The number of prosecutions for offences relating to the supply of illegal, unregulated or black market gambling services are provided in the attached table and published in the ‘Principal offence proceedings and outcomes by Home Office offence code data tool’, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/987731/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2020.xlsxThe specific offences selected are listed below:10646 - Provision of facilities for gambling unless authorised by an operating licence or covered by a specific exception10647 - Use of premises for gambling without a licence10660 - Offences connected to gaming machines: making machine available for use; manufacture, supply etc. linked to machines.Table (xlsx, 18.0KB)

Department for International Trade

Iron and Steel: USA

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in negotiations with the US about lifting the US tariffs on UK-produced steel; and when they expect those tariffs to be lifted.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: Following the announcement of a US-EU deal on the application of Section 232 tariffs, the US issued a statement reflecting our ongoing discussions on this issue and committing to resume talks with the UK. In preparation, we continue to work closely with the steel and aluminium industries to understand the implications of the US-EU deal. Any deal that the UK secures with the US must work for the steel and aluminium sectors. We also continue to engage with UK importers, and will publish a response to the public consultation on our rebalancing measures in due course.

Iron and Steel: USA

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the competitiveness of UK-produced steel in the US market compared to that of steel produced in the EU in the 12 month period (1) before, and (2) after, the US lifted tariffs on steel imports from the EU.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The US-EU deal on the application of Section 232 tariffs comes into effect from 1 January. The Government continues to work closely with the steel and aluminium industries to understand the potential implications of the US-EU deal.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with international partners on delivering the funding required to help countries in the global south tackle climate change.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Securing an ambitious outcome on climate finance has been a core focus of the UK's COP26 Presidency. Significant progress has been made. 95% of the largest developed country climate finance providers made new, forward-looking commitments, with many doubling or even quadrupling their support for developing countries to take climate action. These commitments mean that the $100 billion annual climate finance goal will be met by 2023 at the very latest.At COP26, it was agreed that funding to help countries adapt to climate change should at least double by 2025. Parties also agreed to begin the process of setting a new collective quantified post-2025 goal for climate finance. A work programme was also established under the UN to undertake technical work and a series of high-level ministerial dialogues will now take place to provide political engagement. Parties agreed that this process will take into account the needs and priorities of developing countries.

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the work of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe; and what steps they are taking, if any, to support that work.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a critical part of the multilateral system, and we take the OSCE principles and commitments seriously. The UK Government is a leading player in the organisation and we intend to remain so.

AUKUS: Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made as to whether the trilateral security pact between the UK, US and Australia, known as AUKUS, complies with (1) Article 1 of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and (2) Article 2 of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is strongly committed to full implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in all its aspects; there is no credible alternative route to nuclear disarmament. The activity set out in AUKUS is not prohibited by the NPT. The NPT does not prohibit the use of nuclear propulsion technology. The proposed submarines use a nuclear reactor uniquely as a power source. Australia does not - and will not - seek nuclear weapons.

Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK believes that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has been, and continues to be, a huge success. For over 50 years it has minimised the proliferation of nuclear weapons; provided the framework to enable significant levels of nuclear disarmament, and allowed States to develop secure, safe and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The NPT has played an unparalleled role in curtailing the nuclear arms race. Coupled with the safeguards regime operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has deterred all but a few states from acquiring nuclear weapons. Globally, the number of nuclear weapons has reduced by nearly three quarters since its peak in the mid-1980s. The NPT continues to be essential to the maintenance of a safe and secure world. The UK remains strongly committed to the NPT and will work towards a successful Review Conference in January 2022.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Politics and Government

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the governments of European allies, and (2) NATO allies, regarding the (a) political, and (b) security, situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK works closely with the USA, Germany, France, Italy and other NATO Allies and EU Member States to support the integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) as a single, sovereign state, comprising two entities. In the UN Security Council in recent weeks, we helped to renew the stabilisation force's (EUFOR's) mandate for a further 12 months, and support the High Representative. We also support the NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo, including through the secondment of UK staff officers, whose work includes building the capacity of the BiH Armed Forces. The UK will continue to support BiH in implementing domestic reforms and tackling challenges to peace and security. Further discussions of how to support stability in BiH will take place at the upcoming NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Riga, which the Foreign Secretary will attend.

Turkey: Human Rights

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent reports of human rights abuses against (1) peaceful protesters, and (2) minority groups, in Turkey.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We strongly support the right to peaceful protest, as well as freedom of association. We also support all minority groups in Turkey and encourage the Turkish authorities to safeguard their welfare and respect their human rights, in line with provisions in the Turkish constitution that protect the rights of religious minorities.We participated in the 2020 UN Universal Periodic Review of Turkey, and pressed particularly for removing obstacles to freedom of expression, including freedom of religion or belief. We will continue to engage with Turkey on these important issues and monitor the treatment of minorities.

Armenia: Azerbaijan

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the recent violence on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, what steps they are taking to secure agreement between thegovernments of those two countries on (1) the demarcation of their shared border, and (2) a lasting peace agreement.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: UK diplomats continue to engage with partners. This includes in Baku, Yerevan and at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna where the UK continues to reinforce our support for the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and their work to facilitate negotiations over all outstanding matters relating to the conflict. The UK Government continues to urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to engage in substantive discussions under the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. The Minister for Europe and Americas reinforced these messages in her recent meetings with the Armenian Ambassador on 4 November and the Azerbaijani Ambassador on 17 November.

Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the office of theHigh Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and what discussions they plan to have with the High Representative on his forthcoming visit to London.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Christian Schmidt, has the UK's full support, including for the use of his executive powers should the situation require it. Our Embassy in Sarajevo maintains close contact with Mr Schmidt and his Office (OHR). The High Representative is visiting London in early December, where he will meet UK Ministers and other high level contacts.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Peacekeeping Operations

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need to renew British troop presence in EUFOR in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Earlier this month, the UN Security Council authorised the renewal of the mandate of the stabilisation force (EUFOR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) for a further 12 months. Although the UK no longer participates in EUFOR following our withdrawal from the European Union, we liaise closely with Commander EUFOR and his team. We also support the NATO HQ in Sarajevo including though the secondment of UK staff officers, who are playing an important role including in supporting capacity building of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Armed Forces.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask Her Majesty's Government howmuch money they have spent on recruitment campaigns to the uniformed military services, broken down by service arm.

Baroness Goldie: The recorded expenditure on advertising by the three Services, for the most recent full financial year, is as follows:Financial YearRoyal NavyArmyRoyal Air Force2020-21£16,937,533£11,819,962£5,721,246

Armed Forces: Staff

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask Her Majesty's Government howmany members of the (1) British Army, (2) Royal Air Force, and (3) Royal Navy there are; and what were the figures for each service for each of the last five years.

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been successfully recruited to the (1) British Army, (2) Royal Air Force, and (3) Royal Navy, in each of the last five years.

Baroness Goldie: The requested information can be found in the tables below:  Table 1 - UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas Strength by Service as at 1 July for the years 2017 to 2021  1 July 20171 July 20181 July 20191 July 20201 July 2021Royal Navy/Royal Marines UK Regular Forces32,46032,38032,47033,05034,040Army UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas85,57083,02081,89082,63085,800 Regulars82,61079,90078,48078,88081,820 Gurkhas2,9603,1203,4103,7503,980Royal Air Force UK Regular Forces33,01032,85032,83032,82033,370UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas Total151,040148,250147,190148,500153,220 Notes to table 1: 1. UK Regulars comprise Full time Service personnel, including Nursing Services, but excluding Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel, Gurkhas (which have been included separately in the table), mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS), Locally Engaged Personnel (LEP), Non Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), High Readiness Reserve (HRR) and Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) personnel. Regular figures include those personnel that have transferred from GURTAM to UKTAP2. Unless otherwise stated, includes trained and untrained personnel3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, though numbers ending in a “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent the systematic bias caused by always rounding numbers upwards. Additionally, totals and sub-totals are rounded separately and so may not equal the sums of their rounded parts4. UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas strength figures are also available in Table 3b of the quarterly Service Personnel Statistics publication, produced by Analysis (Tri-Service): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-20215. These figures cover all forces including those based overseas.Table 2 - Intake to UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas by Service for 12 months ending 30 June for the years 2017 to 2021 30 June 201730 June 201830 June 201930 June 202030 June 2021Royal Navy/Royal Marines UK Regular Forces2,8803,0703,2403,7204,010Army UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas8,2406,9708,2009,56011,190 Regulars7,9706,7007,8009,13010,850 Gurkhas270270400430340Royal Air Force UK Regular Forces1,9502,1502,4802,4002,490UK Regular Forces and Gurkhas Total13,07012,19013,92015,69017,690 Notes to table 2: 1. UK Regulars comprise Full time Service personnel, including Nursing Services, but excluding Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel, Gurkhas (which have been included separately in the table), mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS), Locally Engaged Personnel (LEP), Non Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), High Readiness Reserve (HRR) and Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) personnel. Regular figures include those personnel that have transferred from GURTAM to UKTAP2. Unless otherwise stated, includes trained and untrained personnel3. Figures show Intake to UK Regular Forces, both trained and untrained. Intake comprises new entrants, re-entrants, direct trained entrants (including professionally qualified Officers), intake to the Army from the Gurkhas and intake from the reserves4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, though numbers ending in a “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent the systematic bias caused by always rounding numbers upwards. Additionally, totals and sub-totals are rounded separately and so may not equal the sums of their rounded parts5. UK Regular Forces Intake figures (not including Gurkhas) are also available in Table 5a of the quarterly Service Personnel Statistics publication, produced by Analysis (Tri-Service): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2021

Armed Forces: Vacancies

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the number of unfilled posts in the (1) British Army, (2) Royal Air Force, and (3) Royal Navy; and what percentage of understaffing these unfilled posts represent.

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask Her Majesty's Government howmany unfilled posts there are in (1) the Army Reserve, (2) the Naval Reserve, and (3) the RAF reserve; and what percentage of understaffing these unfilled posts represent.

Baroness Goldie: The Integrated Review and Spending Review (IR/SR) introduced greater flexibility in how Defence could employ its workforce types (Armed Forces Regular, Reserve, Defence Civilian and Contractors) which has made the continued use of a fixed workforce requirement for individual components of the Whole Force less appropriate. We are in the process of agreeing a new Indicative Planned Strength which will provide a clearer indication of the Armed Forces planned strength going forward. It will reflect the Whole Force Strategic Workforce plans that are currently being finalised and reflect the changes in organisational structure introduced following the IR/SR.

Army: Staff

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many uniformed British Army personnel are based in the UK, broken down by home nation.

Baroness Goldie: As at 1 July 2021, there are 111,270 British Army Regular, Gurkha and Reserve Personnel based in the UK. Table 1. Regulars based in the UK, by Country as at 1 July 2021Country Strength Total 78,420 England71,380Wales1,460Scotland3,910Northern Ireland1,680 Table 2. Gurkhas based in the UK, by Country as at 1 July 2021Country Strength Total3,300 England3,210Wales90Scotland10Northern Ireland-Table 3. FR20 Reserves based in the UK, by Country as at 1 July 2021Country Strength Total 29,550 England21,480Wales1,700Scotland4,490Northern Ireland1,880 NotesHome Nation is based on Country as recorded on the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system. The figures are based on Service personnel's stationed location and not their location of residence – where personnel work isn't necessarily where they live. Personnel deployed on operations to an area away from their stationed location are shown against their most recent stationed location.UK Regulars figures are comprised of Trained and Untrained Regular Army only and therefore exclude Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, Army Reserve and all other Reserves, but includes those personnel that have transferred from GURTAM to UKTAP.Gurkha figures include the Trained and Untrained Gurkha population only. This excludes those personnel that have transferred from GURTAM to UKTAP.Future Reserves 2020 (FR20) figures include the Trained and Untrained FR20 Reserve population only. This consists of Group A Army Reserves, some Sponsored Reserves and those personnel serving on FTRS contracts who were previously Army Reservists.“-” denotes zero or rounded to zero.Figures have been rounded to 10 to limit disclosure to ensure confidentiality; numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and so may not appear to be the sum of their parts.

Reserve Forces: Recruitment

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask Her Majesty's Government to askHer Majesty’s Government how many people have been successfully recruited to the (1) British Army Reserve, (2) RAF Reserve, and (3) Royal Naval Reserve, in each of the last five years.

Baroness Goldie: The requested information can be found in the table below: Intake to Future Reserves 2020 Strength by Service for 12 Months Ending 30 June for the years 2017 to 2021  12 months ending as at:30 June 201730 June 201830 June 201930 June 202030 June 2021Maritime Reserve850750920880800Army Reserve4,9303,7803,8204,0504,260Royal Air Force Reserve660660620530530Future Reserves 2020 Total6,4405,1905,3605,4605,590 Notes to Table: 1. Future Reserves 2020 (FR20) includes volunteer reserves who are mobilised, High Readiness Reserves (HRR), and volunteer reserve (VR) personnel serving on Additional Duties Commitment (ADC) or Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) contracts. Sponsored Reserves who provide a more cost-effective solution than volunteer reserve are also included in the Army Reserve FR20. Non-Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) and University Officer Cadets and Regular Reservists are excluded. This cohort includes both trained and untrained personnel2. FR20 programme monitoring intake statistics are derived by month-on-month comparisons of strength. These figures comprise any intake into the FR20 trained and untrained populations and include personnel coming from the Regular Armed Forces, or any other reserve population not included in the FR203. All Services intake includes transfers between the Maritime Reserve, Army Reserve (Gp A) inc. VR FTRS and RAF Reserves4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, though numbers ending in a “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent the systematic bias caused by always rounding numbers upwards. Additionally, totals and sub-totals are rounded separately and so may not equal the sums of their rounded parts.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fisheries

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of thepressure on the management of non-quota species and the impact this will have on the UK Inshore Fisheries fleet.

Lord Benyon: There are over 200 non-quota species (NQS). We are working to develop our evidence base for the current management regime for NQS, which is complex and irregular in places. Some of our most valuable and vulnerable species are NQS and there would be a significant impact on the inshore fleet and other fishers if the stocks are not well managed. We are looking at how best to improve management and believe that the Fisheries Management Plans offer the best way to do so, working with the EU where appropriate.

Environment Act 2021

Baroness Parminter: To ask Her Majesty's Government howthey intend to engage Parliament in the scrutiny of the interim targets that will be set under section 11 of the Environment Act 2021.

Baroness Parminter: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to facilitate parliamentary scrutiny ofthe proposed long-term targets to be set under section 1 of the Environment Act 2021 before the statutory instruments to give those targets legal effect are laid in October 2022.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The interim and long-term targets due to be set under the Environment Act will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny. Long-term targets will be set in statutory instruments subject to the affirmative procedure and our first suite of targets will be brought forward by 31 October 2022. Both Houses of Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise, debate and vote on the details and ambition of these targets.We will be carrying out a public consultation on proposed long-term targets in early 2022. We will write to the chairs of the appropriate Select Committees in both Houses to update them before this launches.Interim targets for the first suite of long-term targets will be included in the updated Environmental Improvement Plan, which be laid before both Houses of Parliament for scrutiny in early 2023.

Fisheries: Wind Power

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the UK fishing fleet will continue to have access to their natural fishing grounds so that fishing is not displaced by inshore windfarms.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Government is committed to promoting a more competitive, profitable and sustainable fishing industry across the whole of the UK, and setting a gold standard for sustainable fishing around the world. We are also committed to delivering 40GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 to deliver net zero. We recognise the spatial challenges this presents, for these industries and others. Our existing English Marine Plans, which are in place for all English waters, seek to encourage opportunities for co-existence between fishing and other activities as well as promote new ways of working. However, we recognise that a greater level of spatial prioritisation may be required to enable this. A new cross-UK Government programme has been established to create a shared 2050 strategic vision for the marine environment. It will enable the Government to deliver on its commitments including net zero and sustainable fisheries. This month, my department is also hosting a workshop with both the fishing and offshore wind industries to discuss the opportunities and challenges for co-location of activities.

Home Office

Youth Mobility Scheme: Trade Agreements

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether access to the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa isroutinely included as part of trade negotiations with other countries.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: No, Youth Mobility Scheme negotiations are considered separately from trading arrangements and are not routinely included as part of trade negotiations. Every Free Trade Agreement is unique and reflects the balance of the overall package negotiated.

Police: Vetting

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent reports that 2,500 long-serving police officers and other police staff are working despite not having up-to-date vetting; and what steps they are taking to ensure that all serving police officers have been vetted.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government recognises public concern around police vetting which is why the Home Secretary has recently commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire & Rescue Service (HMICFRS) to carry out an urgent thematic inspection of vetting and counter-corruption procedures in policing across England and Wales – including forces’ ability to detect and deal with misogynistic and predatory behaviour.Alongside this, the Home Secretary has also announced a two-part inquiry which will be able to look at the conduct of, and career of, the officer who murdered Sarah Everard as well as any wider issues across policing, including workplace behaviour and culture.

Youth Mobility Scheme

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received regarding negotiating bilateral arrangements for the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa from (1) any EU member state, and (2) any other countries, who are not already covered by the scheme.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made regarding negotiating bilateral agreements for the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa to (1) any EU member state, and (2) any other countries, who are not already members of the scheme.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We remain open to negotiating Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) arrangements with other countries and territories including the EU or nations within it. However, as each YMS is subject to a bilateral, reciprocal agreement which also provides benefit to UK nationals with the detail negotiated and agreed between the relevant parties, we are unable to disclose the status of negotiations as they occur. Further details of additional YMS agreements will be announced once they are concluded.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will open the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme, announced in August.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme is not yet open and remains under development. However, the first to be resettled through this scheme will be some of those who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme, which included individuals who were considered to be at particular risk – including women’s rights activists, prosecutors and journalists.Further information on the eligibility, prioritisation and referral of people for the ACRS is set out in the policy statement published on gov.uk on 13 September.

Youth Mobility Scheme

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have a cap on the total number of visas they will allocate through the Youth Mobility Scheme.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Quotas are set annually in line with Memoranda of Understanding negotiated with individual countries and territories, and in non-pandemic times linked to the number of UK nationals travelling overseas to take advantage of the reciprocal arrangements. The allocations for each year are published in the Immigration Rules.There is no overall cap on the number of visas available on the scheme as a whole, and we remain open to negotiating new agreements with other countries and territories.

Youth Mobility Scheme

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 8 November (HL Deb, col 1441), which two new countries will be added to the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa next year; and on what date.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Youth Mobility Scheme visa route will be open to 18-30 year olds from Iceland from 1 January 2021. In line with the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement signed on 4 May 2021 between the UK and the Government of India, the scheme will be opening to Indian Young Professionals aged 18-30. Further details of implementation arrangements will be provided in due course.

Visas: EU Nationals

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many temporary work visas for EU nationals have been approved this year; and how many have been requested by (1) HGV drivers, (2) fuel tanker drivers, (3) fruit and vegetable pickers, and (4) slaughterhouse workers.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We operate a global immigration system which is open to both EU and non-EU nationals.Details of the numbers of temporary work visas granted for HGV drivers, pork butchers, and workers in edible horticulture will be published in the usual way via the Home Office’s quarterly immigration statistics.With regards to fuel tanker drivers, I refer the Noble Lord to my response to the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale’s question of 26 October (63690).

Migrant Workers: Domestic Service

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional protection they have provided to foreign domestic workers in the UK since the passage of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Since 6 April 2016, those admitted as Overseas Domestic Workers (ODW) or as private servants in diplomatic households have been able to change employer during the validity of their visa; and those found to be victims of slavery or human trafficking have been able to extend their stay for up to two years.Changes were also made to ensure those who are referred to the National Referral Mechanism within the validity of their visa will be able to continue working while their case is considered.In 2017, the minimum age for ODWs was raised to 19 in order to guard against the recruitment of minors.More recently, work has been undertaken to simplify the Immigration Rules and guidance governing the ODW route. We expect anyone wishing to employ domestic workers to do so in accordance with UK employment regulations. The simplified rules make this clear.

Immigration: Overseas Students

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many migrants who initially entered the UK on a student visa were granted the right to settlein each of the past 10 years.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Data is published as part of the Migrant Journey report in dataset MJ_D02, which contains grants of settlement by initial leave category. Details for the last 10 years for study are below: Sum of TotalColumn LabelsRow LabelsStudy201127,375201223,364201332,126201425,694201526,668201617,663201718,176201826,622201927,625202016,764Grand Total242,077

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Housing: Children

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the campaign by Contact for a decent home for every disabled child; and what plans they have (1) to build more (a) accessible, and (b) affordable, social housing, and (2) to give greater priority to families with disabled children needing housing.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government has consulted on raising accessibility standards of new homes recognising the importance of suitable homes for disabled people. The consultation considered whether a change could be made to the existing standards by either mandating a higher standard or reconsidering the way existing optional standards are used. The Government will publish a response as soon as possible.Since 2010, the Government has invested over £4 billion into the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to contribute to the cost of home adaptations for eligible people, including disabled children, to help them live independently and safely. While the grant is means tested, children and young people aged 17 and under are exempt from this means test to help them receive the adaptations they need. In addition, local authorities are responsible for allocating social housing through schemes they set locally. These are governed by a framework of rules set by central government which ensure social housing is prioritised for those in housing need, including disabled people.We’re building more affordable housing. Our new £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will provide up to 180,000 new homes across the country, should economic conditions allow. 10% of delivery will be for much needed specialist and supported housing. This builds upon the success of our £9 billion Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme, running to 2023, which will deliver approximately 250,000 new affordable homes.

UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 15 November (HL3617), what assessment they have made of the plans for the UKHolocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in respect of protecting access to green spaces, including Victoria Tower Gardens.

Lord Greenhalgh: We look forward to the completion of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, including the improvements that development will bring to the quality and accessibility of Victoria Tower Gardens.

Cabinet Office

Cobra: Meetings

Lord Coaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Cobra meetings have been held in response to the build-up of Russian forces on the Ukraine border.

Lord True: As a matter of policy, the Government does not comment on COBR meetings.

Marriage: Religion

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ascertain the number of British citizens currently united in religious-only marriages.

Lord True: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician Baroness CoxHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW23 November 2021 Dear Baroness Cox, As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what steps have been taken to ascertain the number of British citizens currently united in religious-only marriages (HL4074). The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for publishing marriage statistics for England and Wales. The most recent year for which marriage statistics are available is 20181. National Records Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) are responsible for publishing marriage statistics for marriages registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. An annual breakdown of the number of religious marriages which took place in England and Wales is available. A religious marriage is defined as a marriage solemnised in certified places of worship that are registered for marriage, and is carried out in accordance with the rites and ceremonies of a religious denomination. To provide the number of British citizens currently united in religious-only marriages would potentially require changes to the civil registration process, as information about the nationality of individuals marrying is not provided to the ONS by the General Register Office, and this information is not collected during the marriage registration process. Table 1 provides the number of religious marriages registered in England and Wales for each year for the period 2008 to 2018. It is important to note that these counts may be an underestimate as some marriages (such as Muslim and Sikh) undertaken in accordance with the rites and ceremonies of a religious denomination, may take place at unregistered premises. Such marriages do not meet the legal requirements needed in England and Wales for a religious marriage and are recorded as civil marriages. Yours sincerely,  Professor Sir Ian Diamond Table 1: Number of religious marriages2 registered3 in England and Wales4, 2008 to 20185 YearNumber of religious marriages200878,498200976,493201078,128201174,452201279,473201368,600201468,051201562,658201660,069201754,346201848,181 Source: Office for National Statistics1 https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/marriagecohabitationandcivilpartnerships/datasets/marriagesinenglandandwales20132 Marriage statistics are derived from information recorded when marriages are registered as part of civil registration, a legal requirement.3 Figures include opposite-sex and same-sex marriages registered in England and Wales.4 Figures exclude marriages to residents of England and Wales that took place abroad.5 The latest marriage statistics available for are for 2018. It is currently only possible to publish final annual marriage statistics around 26 months after the end of the reference year due to delays in the submission of marriage entries by the clergy and registrars.Letter Response to PQHL4074 (pdf, 59.2KB)

Suicide

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many suicides have been recorded in each region in England and Wales in the last 12 months.

Lord True: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and CookstownHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW19 November 2021 Dear Lord McCrea, As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question regarding the number of suicides that have been recorded in each region in England and Wales in the last 12 months (HL4142). The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes annual suicide death registration statistics for England and Wales as part of our annual statistical release for the UK (1,2). The latest available figures were published by the ONS in September 2021 and covered calendar years up to 2020. The ONS also publish quarterly provisional statistics on suicide death registrations in England (3). The ONS hold death registrations for England and Wales; separate figures for Northern Ireland and Scotland are available from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (4) and the National Records of Scotland (5), respectively. Table 1 shows the number of suicides and age standardised suicide rates for regions in England, and Wales, based on deaths registered in 2020 and July 2020 to June 2021. The figures that are compiled for July 2020 to June 2021 are provisional and subject to small changes. The risk of suicide cannot be ascertained based on number of deaths due to varying populations for each region. Therefore, we have provided age-standardised suicide rates in table 1 to allow for valid comparisons across regions. ONS mortality statistics for England and Wales are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration. Deaths caused by suicide are investigated by coroners, causing a delay of around five to six months between the date of death and the date of death registration. As such, with the deaths provided in Table 1, many of these will have occurred several months or even years previously. Data for deaths caused by suicide that occurred in 2020 will be available in 2022, when we have more complete death registrations data. Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond Table 1: Number (6) of suicides (7) and age standardised suicide rates by English regions and Wales, deaths registered in 2020 and July 2020 to June 2021 (8)   2020 July 2020 to June 2021pArea codeArea nameDeathsRate per 100,000 DeathsRate per 100,000E12000001North East30613.3 35515.3E12000002North West64310.1 73611.5E12000003Yorkshire and The Humber55011.5 60212.7E12000004East Midlands3969.3 48311.3E12000005West Midlands54610.7 59411.6E12000006East5189.5 4818.8E12000007London5437.0 5466.9E12000008South East85110.6 95711.9E12000009South West55911.2 60812.3W92000004Wales28510.3 33012.1 Source: Office for National Statistics Box 1: International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes used to define suicide ICD-10 codesDescriptionNotesX60-X84Intentional self-harmPersons aged 10 years and above   Y10-Y34Injury/poisoning of undetermined intentPersons aged 15 years and above (1) https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/latest(2) Due to operational difficulties, suicides registered in 2020 in Northern Ireland and Scotland were unavailable at the time of analysis, and so this year’s annual release is for England and Wales only. ONS will update the UK figures at a later stage.(3) https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/quarterlysuicidedeathregistrationsinengland/latest(4) https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/cause-death/suicide-deaths(5) https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/deaths/suicides(6) Figures are for persons aged 10 years and over.(7) The National Statistics definition of suicide is given in Box 1.(8) Figure for July 2020 to June 2021 are provisional and subject to small changes.(9) The area is based on the persons usual residence as provided by the informant upon registration in England and Wales. Figures for English regions and Wales exclude death of non-residents and are based on the latest available postcode boundaries.(10) Figures are for deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in each calendar year. Due to the length of time it takes to complete a coroner’s inquest, it can take months or even years for a suicide to be registered. More details can be found in the ‘Suicide Registrations In The UK’ statistical bulletin.(11) Age-standardised suicide rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the 2013 European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages.UKSA response (pdf, 148.1KB)

Treasury

Income Tax

Lord Macpherson of Earl's Court: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the revenue that would be raised by increasing all income tax rates applicable to rental income by 1.25 per cent.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The government has not made an assessment of the revenue that would be raised by increasing all income tax rates applicable to rental income by 1.25 per cent. The government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review and any decision on future changes will be taken as part of the annual Budget process in the context of the wider public finances.

Companies: China

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Chinese companieshave representatives participating inadvisory groups convened by HM Treasury; and how many meetings Treasury (1) ministers, and (2) officials, had Chinese companies in the last year.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of stakeholders in the course of normal business. Details of all official meetings by ministers are published on www.gov.uk.

Overseas Loans: Republic of Ireland

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the outstanding loan principal due by the Republic of Ireland has been fully repaid; and what were the total interest payments received from the Republic of Ireland.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Ireland received a loan of a total of £3,226,960,000 under the Loans to Ireland Act 2010, which has been repaid in full as of 31 March 2021. The total interest paid was £628,677,551.77.

Asylum: Taxation

Baroness Stroud: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much tax revenue has been generated by those granted asylum in the UK for the financial year 2019–20.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold information on the migration status of individuals paying Income Tax as that detail is not required for the operation of Income Tax.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling: Reform

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask Her Majesty's Government what impactassessments on the societal cost of problem gambling they have undertaken to inform their proposed white paper on gambling reform.

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of any changes in the (1) volume, and (2) patterns, of gambling activity resulting from the COVID-19 restrictions since March 2020.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Public Health England (PHE)’s evidence review on gambling-related harms estimated the annual cost of harmful gambling to society to be between £841 million and £2.2 billion, or approximately £1.27 billion. Further research is needed to determine costs attributable directly to gambling-related harm rather than those associated with people who are problem or at-risk gamblers.PHE also conducted a rapid review on the impact of COVID-19 on gambling behaviour and associated harms. The review found consistent evidence that overall gambling participation reduced during the initial COVID-19 lockdown period (March to June 2020), and limited evidence to show any new patterns of harms associated with gambling during COVID-19 restrictions.The Gambling Commission’s official statistics for the year to March 2021 show that the overall participation in gambling declined over the wider period of COVID-19 lockdowns, largely due to the closure of land-based gambling venues for much of the past year. The proportion of respondents participating in any gambling in the past four weeks fell from 47% in the year to March 2020 to 40% in the year to March 2021. Online gambling participation increased to 24% (up 3 percentage points), whilst in person participation decreased 12 percentage points to 23%. However, the increase in online gambling was largely linked to National Lottery play; excluding National Lottery draws, overall participation online increased marginally from 16.5% to 16.9%.